The Iowa softball team dropped three games of its three-game series against the Purdue Boilermakers this past weekend in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Hawkeyes lost by margins of 3-2, 4-0, and 2-1 and thus fell to 4-5 in Big Ten conference play. 

In game one, second-year pitcher Jalen Adams allowed three Boilermaker runs and had three errors in her 14th complete game of the season. 

The Boilermakers took the lead early in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run to left field to lead, 2-0. With bases loaded, the Hawkeyes were on the verge of scoring in the top of the third but could not deliver. 

Both teams remained scoreless for the next three innings until first-year Jena Young got the Hawkeyes going with a home run to right field, bringing the score to 2-1.

The Hawkeyes continued strong into the seventh inning, tying up the game with a single by Young to send second-year Tory Bennett home. The Boilermakers could not respond despite a player remaining on second at the end of the seventh, sending the game into an extra eighth inning. 

Bennett on third and Adams on second at the top of the eighth with two strikes, the Boilermakers held them off with a ground out at third base. The Boilermakers took advantage, and with a home run to left center, walked off victorious in the first game of the series, 3-2.

In game two, Young hit a single for the first inning, continuing her base streak of 15 games. But despite loaded bases, the Hawkeyes were unable to deliver anyone home in the top of the first inning.

Third-year pitcher Devyn Greer returned to the circle for the first time since March 9, resulting in the first strikeout of the game for Greer to conclude the first inning. 

The bases were loaded a second time for Iowa in the second, the Hawkeyes looking to take the lead, but two flyouts led to a scoreless inning. The Boilermakers took over the game in the second inning with back-to-back doubles along with an error in right field to lead the Hawkeyes, 3-0.

Another first for Greer came as she recorded a three-up, three-down inning during the bottom of the third. With a quiet two innings for both teams after that, the Boilermakers collected another run to push their lead out to 4-0 for the win. 

In game three, the Hawkeyes found themselves short despite an early lead in the second inning. 

Third-year Rylie Moss started the Hawkeyes strong with a single, and later a bunt from Young pushed Moss to second. As Young and Moss waited to race home, the Hawkeyes could not convert, leaving them to end the first inning with one hit, no runs, and Moss stranded on second. 

First-year Jaylee Ojo was in the circle to finish out the series finale for the Hawkeyes, allowing one hit in the first. 

With bases loaded and two outs, Moss pushed home second-year Avery Jackson with an RBI walk, leading to the first score, 1-0.

After a one-out single in the first, Ojo sent 15 straight Boilermaker hitters back to the dugout — until the bottom of the sixth when the Boilermakers drove home two players on a passed ball and a single up the middle.

Moss and Young remained on second and third with two outs at the top of the seventh, waiting to charge home until Purdue claimed victory on a groundout. 

The Hawkeyes totaled up one RBI and five hits. While in the circle, Ojo allowed four hits and two runs to give the Boilermakers the win.

Up next

The Hawkeyes will be back on the road for a three-game series from April 12-14 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, against Michigan.